Sukiyaki (すき焼き)

すき焼き Sukiyaki is one of Japan’s most beloved hot pot dishes. Thinly sliced beef, tofu, and vegetables simmer together in a sweet-savory broth, and you dip each piece in raw beaten egg before eating. It is warming, deeply satisfying, and not as difficult to make at home as it looks. This guide covers everything: what sukiyaki is, how the two regional styles differ, how to make it, and where to eat it well.

What is Sukiyaki?

Sukiyaki (すき焼き) is a type of nabemono, a Japanese one-pot dish cooked at the dining table. Thinly sliced beef goes into a shallow iron pot alongside Japanese leek, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and shirataki noodles. The whole pot simmers in a sweet and savory broth seasoned with soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Before eating, each piece is dipped briefly in a small bowl of lightly beaten raw egg.

The dish is associated with special occasions and cold-weather gatherings. It appears regularly at year-end parties (bōnenkai) and family celebrations. It is one of those meals that feels communal in the best way: everyone cooks and eats at their own pace from the same pot. For context within Japan’s wider hot pot tradition, shabu-shabu, chanko nabe, and oden are close relatives in the nabemono family.

Kanto vs. Kansai: The Two Styles of Sukiyaki

This is the question that comes up most often with sukiyaki. The two styles taste noticeably different, and understanding why helps you decide which version to cook or order.

Kanto Style: Simmered in Warishita

In the Tokyo area, sukiyaki is a simmering dish. A pre-mixed sauce called warishita, combining soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and dashi, is poured into the pot before cooking begins. Beef and all other ingredients go in together and cook in that liquid. The result is a unified, broth-forward flavor where the sweetness of the sauce and the richness of the beef blend gradually over the course of the meal. For a full breakdown of this style, the Kanto-style sukiyaki guide covers it in detail.

Kansai Style: Grilled First, Seasoned After

In the Osaka and Hyogo region, the approach is different. The beef is grilled or seared directly in the hot pan first, with sugar, soy sauce, and sake added individually as cooking progresses. No pre-mixed sauce. The direct caramelization of the meat gives a slightly charred, more intense flavor. Vegetables are added after the meat and cook in the juices released from everything in the pan. This style stays truer to the original meaning of the word sukiyaki: grilling on a flat surface. The Kansai-style sukiyaki article goes into the full technique.

Both styles end the same way. You pick up a piece of cooked beef, tofu, or vegetable and dip it in raw beaten egg before eating. That is one tradition both regions share without debate.

The Name: What Does Sukiyaki Mean?

The word sukiyaki is made up of two parts. Suki (鋤) means “plowshare,” and yaki (焼) means “grilling” or “cooking over fire.” Together, they reference the original practice of grilling meat on a flat iron surface outdoors, which is how the dish is believed to have started. The name is older than the modern hot pot version most people know today.

A Brief History of Sukiyaki

The story behind sukiyaki unfolds in three connected stages, and understanding them makes the dish more interesting.

The Early Origins

Before the modern sukiyaki appeared, a dish called “plow-yaki” was described in an Edo-period cookbook from 1804. It referred to grilling fish, duck, or other meats on a flat iron surface over hot coals. Beef was largely absent from the Japanese diet during this era due to Buddhist customs and shogunate restrictions. Soldiers and laborers who ate beef for strength reportedly cooked it outdoors on farm tools, including plowshares. That image of outdoor iron-surface cooking gave the dish its name.

The Meiji Era and Beef Culture

When Yokohama Port opened in 1859 and Japan began engaging with the West, beef eating spread. A dish called ushinabe, or beef pot, emerged in Yokohama and Tokyo, combining beef with miso and vegetables. As refrigeration and meat processing improved through the Meiji era, the miso-heavy approach evolved. Soy sauce, sugar, and mirin replaced miso as the primary seasonings. This transition, particularly in the Kanto region, laid the groundwork for modern sukiyaki.

Becoming a National Dish

Sukiyaki’s origins in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, place it in the Kansai tradition. The dish spread nationally through the twentieth century, with the two regional styles developing their distinct identities. It is now one of Japan’s most recognized dishes internationally, and appears on menus from Tokyo to Osaka to Hokkaido.

What is Warishita (割り下)?

Warishita is the cooking sauce used in Kanto-style sukiyaki. It is made by combining soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and sometimes dashi in a pot and briefly heating the mixture until the sugar dissolves. The ratio most commonly cited as a starting point is soy sauce 4, mirin 3, sugar 2, water 1. But this varies considerably by household and region. Some versions are sweeter. Others are sharper and more soy-forward.

The key characteristic of warishita is that everything is pre-mixed before cooking begins. This is what distinguishes Kanto style from Kansai style, where seasonings are added directly to the meat during cooking rather than combined in advance.

Ready-made warishita is sold in Japanese supermarkets. Brands like Ebara and Kikkoman both produce widely available versions. If you are making sukiyaki for the first time, a store-bought warishita is a perfectly reasonable shortcut. Once you understand the flavor you are aiming for, you can adjust a homemade version to suit your taste.

What Does Sukiyaki Taste Like?

The flavor of sukiyaki is difficult to compare to Western beef dishes. It is not like a stew or a braise. The dominant notes are sweetness from mirin and sugar, and depth from soy sauce. Together they create a sauce that feels almost caramel-like in its glossiness, but still savory and umami-rich from the beef fat melting into the broth.

The beef itself is sliced thin enough to nearly dissolve on the tongue. The tofu absorbs the broth and becomes soft and heavy with flavor. The shirataki noodles are springy and take on the sweetness of the sauce. Each ingredient brings a different texture, but the flavor that runs through all of them is that sweet-soy combination.

Then there is the raw egg dip. The moment you coat a piece of hot, sauce-soaked beef in cold beaten egg, the temperature drops slightly and the egg wraps around it in a thin, creamy layer. The sharpness of the soy softens. The richness increases. It is an experience that is genuinely hard to describe until you have tried it.

Why Do You Dip Sukiyaki in Raw Egg?

This is the detail that puzzles most first-timers. The practice has two practical origins. First, the egg cools each piece before it reaches your mouth, preventing burns from the hot broth-soaked ingredients. Second, the egg adds a rich, mild coating that balances the intensity of the sweet-savory sauce.

There is also a historical element. When beef pot culture spread in the Meiji era, both beef and eggs were considered luxury items. Combining them elevated the sense of occasion around the meal. The custom stuck, and it became inseparable from the sukiyaki experience.

In Japan, eggs sold for raw consumption are produced under strict safety standards. If you are cooking sukiyaki outside Japan and are cautious about raw eggs, a very lightly cooked egg in warm water for thirty seconds is a reasonable alternative. Many people outside Japan skip it entirely. But if you have access to good-quality fresh eggs, the traditional approach is worth trying at least once.

Best Ingredients for Sukiyaki

The quality of the beef is the most important variable in sukiyaki. The dish was built around premium Japanese wagyu, and the fat content of well-marbled beef is what makes the broth rich as the meal progresses. The top three wagyu brands associated with sukiyaki are Matsusaka beef, Kobe beef from Hyogo Prefecture, and Omi beef from Shiga. Hida beef from Gifu is another excellent option. Outside Japan, a well-marbled ribeye or sirloin sliced thin is a practical substitute.

Standard vegetable and ingredient choices include Japanese leek, firm tofu, shiitake and enoki mushrooms, chrysanthemum greens (shungiku), and shirataki noodles. Many households also add yaki-tofu, which holds its shape better in the broth than standard firm tofu. Udon noodles are often added near the end of the meal, cooked in the concentrated broth that remains.

How to Make Sukiyaki at Home

Kanto-Style Recipe (Simmered with Warishita)

Steps to Cook

Kansai-Style: Grill First, Season After

Sukiyaki vs. Shabu-Shabu

Both dishes use thinly sliced beef and a pot of liquid. That is roughly where the similarity ends. Sukiyaki cooks everything in a sweet-savory broth and you eat it with a raw egg dip. Shabu-shabu uses a much milder dashi, usually kelp-based, and you swish each piece briefly through the liquid before dipping it in sesame sauce or ponzu. No egg. No sweet broth.

Sukiyaki is the richer, sweeter, more intense option. Shabu-shabu is lighter and lets the natural flavor of the beef come through more clearly. If you can, try both. They are different experiences even though they start from similar ingredients.

Where to Eat Sukiyaki in Japan

Tokyo and Osaka both have long-established sukiyaki restaurants. Here are four worth knowing, covering both Kanto and Kansai traditions.

Kitamura (Osaka) — Kansai Tradition Since 1887

Kitamura in Shinsaibashi is one of the most historically significant sukiyaki restaurants in Japan. Founded in 1887, it sits in a traditional Sukiya-style building with a courtyard and private rooms. The menu centers on authentic Kansai-style sukiyaki without warishita: beef grilled directly, seasoned as it cooks. The setting is calm and suited to occasions that deserve some formality. About a three-minute walk from Shinsaibashi Station.

Address: 1-16-27 Higashishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka
Phone: 06-6245-4129
Hours: 16:00–22:00; Closed Sundays and public holidays
Website: shimizu.or.jp/kitamura

Sukiyaki Ichiban Shinsaibashi (Osaka) — Accessible A5 Wagyu

This Shinsaibashi restaurant offers A5 Japanese black wagyu sukiyaki at a more accessible price point than most premium sukiyaki venues. The all-you-can-eat course is a practical option for those who want to eat generously without committing to a multi-course kaiseki-style menu. Five private rooms available for groups. About three minutes from Shinsaibashi Station on the Midosuji Line.

Address: 1-2-24 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka, Tamaki Building B1F
Phone: 06-6244-2477
Hours: Open from 17:00; closes 2:00 AM on Sundays
Website: sukiyaki-1ban.com

Ishibashi (Tokyo) — The Meiji-Era Butcher’s Shop

Ishibashi was established in the twelfth year of the Meiji era, originally as a butcher shop. The restaurant retains a traditional Japanese-room interior that feels genuinely old. The sukiyaki here is Kanto-style, and the focus on meat quality is consistent with the shop’s butcher origins. A one-minute walk from Suehirocho Station on the Tokyo Metro. Dinner only, closed weekends.

Address: 3-6-8 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3251-3580
Hours: Mon–Fri 17:00–21:30 (LO 20:00); Closed weekends
Website: tabelog.com

Tokyo Meat Shabu-Shabu (Tokyo) — Rare-Cut Sukiyaki in Shinjuku

This Shinjuku shop is primarily known for shabu-shabu, but their sukiyaki uses chateaubriand from A5 Japanese black beef, a rare cut that rarely appears in hot pot cooking. The approach to broth quality here is meticulous. About four minutes on foot from Seibu Shinjuku Station.

Address: 1-12-3 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Casa No. 2 Shinjuku 1F
Phone: 03-6273-8987
Hours: 12:00–14:30; Sundays 11:30–20:00

Final Thoughts

すき焼き Sukiyaki is one of those dishes that explains itself once you taste it. The sweet-savory broth, the thin beef, the raw egg dip: each element has a reason, and together they create something that feels distinctly Japanese. The Kanto versus Kansai divide adds another layer of interest, because the same core ingredients produce noticeably different results depending on how they are handled.

If you want to explore the regional styles further, the Kanto-style sukiyaki and Kansai-style sukiyaki guides each go into full detail. And if hot pot cooking in general interests you, shabu-shabu and chanko nabe are natural next stops.

Exploring Japanese hot pot? Read about Kanto-style sukiyaki, Kansai-style sukiyaki, and other Hyogo food specialties.

References

• Kitamura Osaka — shimizu.or.jp/kitamura
• Sukiyaki Ichiban — sukiyaki-1ban.com